1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to the removal of piston liners of various kinds and relates particularly to apparatus for removing the piston liners of internal combustion engines.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Heretofore in the construction of internal combustion engines, and particularly in the construction of diesel engines, an engine block has been cast with a plurality of openings or cores in accordance with the number of cylinders and pistons which are to be provided in the engine. Normally each of the cores is machined to snugly receive a cylinder liner or sleeve which has been specially heat treated and in which the inner periphery or bore of the sleeve has been ground and lapped to provide a smooth surface which is engaged by the rings of the piston so that substantial compression can be provided within the cylinder.
The block of most diesel engines includes an air inlet passageway and an air exhaust passageway by means of which air can be introduced into the cylinder during the compression stroke and air can be exhausted from the cylinder at the completion of the power stroke. In order to permit the passage of air into and out of the cylinder, the cylinder liner is provided with a plurality of openings substantially midway of its length which communicate with the inlet and exhaust passageways. This is particularly true of diesel engines produced by Detroit Diesel Company, a subsidiary of General Motors. This company produces a substantial portion of the diesel engines used in motor vehicles, as well as diesel engines used in stationary power plants and the like.
During the active life of a diesel engine the pistons are constantly moving up and down the cylinder and eventually the cylinder liner becomes scored, out of round, or so worn that compression is adversely affected and therefore it becomes necessary to remove the cylinder liner and either replace the liner and the rings of the piston or grind and lap the bore of the cylinder liner and place oversized rings on the piston.
In the past some efforts have been made to provide tools for removing sleeves of various kinds from internal combustion engines, pumps and other structures requiring the cyclic movement of a piston; however, in most of these prior art structures it has been necessary to remove the piston before the mechanism for removing the cylinder could be attached. Due to space limitations, in most cases it has been necessary to remove the crankshaft from the engine before the piston could be removed and therefore it has been necessary to substantially disassemble the entire mechanism in order to remove the cylinder liners. Some examples of the prior art are U.S. Pat. Nos. 1,705,789 to Steirly; 2,503,426 to Tower; 2,568,998 to Fletcher; 2,688,183 to Oberley et al.; 2,924,005 to Wilson et al.; and 3,805,359 to Webb.